Improvement in calendars



F.RATCLIFE CALENDARS.

Patgnted Jan.23,1877( Jan Feb Ma fr May Jun WITNESSES ,INVENTOR -ATTORNEY N- PETERS, PHOTD-LITHOGHAFNER. WASNNGTON. D CA A FREDERICK' BATGLIFF, 'on vvnsr MEnIDEN, ooNNnorIo Ur IMPRQVEMENTJN"elALENpARs 'y specification' forming part of Letters raient nq.' 186,622.Y dated-January iis, 1877;.appncatibi1 ,nietv f October 211876.,

To all whom #may concern Be n knownthat I, FREDERICK RATCLi'FF. of 4'VVest Meriden, inthe conn ty of New llavenY and State of Connecticut, have invented a new and valuable Improvement in Calendars and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the construction and operation of 4 thesame', reference being had to the annexed drawings, making a part of this specification, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon.

Figure l of the drawings is a representation of a front view of my calendar. Fig. 2 is back view of the same. Fig. 3 is a central vertical section. Fig. 4 is a front view of the sliding card. Fig. 5 represents the faces of the reversible month-strip.

This invention has relation to calendars; and it consists in the construction and novel arrangement of the frame-plate, having at its upper portion a box for the year-strip, below in successive slideways for .the month and day cards and end guards for the slotted back plate; and in connection therewith of the glass, tting the main readingaperture of the plate, and carrying the week-day slip, as hereinafter shown and described.

In the accompanying drawings, the letter A designates the frame-plate ot the calendar. It is nearly rectangular, and is provided with a large reading-aperture, B, and a smaller one, G. In rear of the margin the large aperture B is rabbeted, as shown at a2, for the reception of the glass plate. In rear of the smaller aperture G is located a box, D, which is designed for the reception of a slip of paper, having the years marked thereon. The back of the main plate, atthe upper part ot' the large reading-aperture', is provided with horizontal and parallel guide'ribs a and n.1, the former extendingentirely across the plate above said ap' ertnre, and the latter extending on each side ot' said aperture below the former, and carrying a vertical flange, b, which extends across said aperture and forms, with said ribs, a recess for the reception ot'a slip of paper, m, on which are marked the months of the year. cand c des ignate horizontal ribs on the back of the plate, below and parallel with thosejust mentioned. The latter rib c extends entirely across the plate, below the lower margin of the large distance below the rib-s a1.

Sometimes a single broad rib may bev used,

instead of the two rib 'al ando'. 4The distance between the; upper edge of theA rib al.

andthe lower edge of the riblc is equal to the- 'Width of the 'strip d, v hichV is Iplaced atthe back of theI glass G, horizontallyacross, near its upper end. E indicates dat end loops or guard-arms, extending vertically across each end ofthe plate, and saying to keep the back plate F in place. The l-wer edge of this back plate rests in the low wands of said loops or arms, and it is kei fm contact with the main plate by res" i.g on the ribs c c. The upper edge ot' said plate is in contactv with the lower edge of the flange b, which is rabbeted where it joins the ribs al, and forms a guideway for said plate. This plate is slotted centrally and longitudinally at e. Between this plate'and the main plate, and between the ribs c and c', is located the sliding card f, upon which are marked, in acheaked arrangement, the numbers ot' the days of the month. These figures are arranged usually in six horizontal and thirteen vertical rows, and in the manner shown at Fig. 4 ot' the drawings, the seven columns on the right having their figures running in regular rotation, in the manner of' an ordinary calendar when the' rst day ot' the month corresponds with the .first day ot' the week. In the six columns en the left the ligures are arranged in gradually decreasing order, from right to left, so that-when the card is moved from left to right pro figures of the days of the month will come ifiline below the days of the week on the stri-at the back of the glass G. Back otl this sliding card is provided an operating loop or handle, e', which extends through the slot e and enables said card to be readily adjusted. lhe glass platev G is designed to tit in the aperture B, so that the edges willlie in the rabbeted margins and its rear surface will be flush with the rear surface ofthe main plate. Above thestrip d,con taining the days of the week, acspace is left equal to the width of the strip m, containing the names ofthe months. Ihis space is lled np on each side with a backin g of paper, paint, or other opaque material, as shown at z, in

such a manner as to leave a central sightspace, y, through which vthe name of one month can be seen.

When the parts are put together the figures of the days of therfinonth .will appear through the lower part of ,tliefglass plate, and above them the names of the days of the Week. Above the week-slip the name ofthe month appears, and, as usually arranged, the year appears through the opening U, above all. The strip m, carrying the names of the months, is adjustable from side to side, so as to bring the name of any month opposite the sightspace y of the glass G. The names of six months are usually arranged on one side of said strip and six on the other, so that the strip is reversible and occupies but half of the longitudinal space it Would otherwise take. The year-strip s is folded from side to side in the box.

All the strips used in this calendar are adjustable except that which bears the names of the Week-days. The calendar is adjusted by bringing the year and month to their respective sight-openings, then the sliding card is moved to bring the first day of the month, which is in the central vertical column, under the day of the Week upon which lthe month commences. The calendar will then be adjusted for all the days of' the month referred to.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is.-

l. The calendar-plate A, having the sightopenings B C, the horizontal ribs aal c c', the transverse flange b, guide-arms E, and back plate F, substantially as specified.

2. The combination, with the plate A, having the opening B, ribs al, c, and c', of the month-strip m, the sliding card f,carrying the days of the month, and the glass Gr, having the transverse week-strip d, substantially as specified.

In testimony that I claim the above I have hereunto subscribed my name in the presence of two witnesses.

FREDERICK RATGLIFF.

Witnesses:

GHAs. KENToN, JOHN E. DURAND. 

